Comparative studies of global and targeted control of walkway bridge resonant frequencies

Abstract

In this paper, three controllers are investigated for active vibration control of a pedestrian walkway structure. They comprise direct velocity feedback, observer-based and independent modal space controllers that are implemented in single-input single-output (SISO), multi-SISO and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configurations. The objective of the SISO controller schemes is to compare vibration mitigation performances arising from global control versus selective control of structural resonant frequencies in a given frequency bandwidth. The objectives set out for the multi-SISO and MIMO controllers are to realize global control within the same frequency bandwidth considered in the SISO studies. A novel aspect of these latter studies is the independent control of selected resonant frequencies at different locations on the structure with the aim of imposing global control. Vibration mitigation performances are evaluated using frequency response function measurements and uncontrolled and controlled responses to a synthesized walking excitation force. In the SISO studies, selective control of specific resonant frequencies has a slight degradation in the global vibration mitigation performance, although it reflects better performance around the target frequencies. For the multi-SISO and MIMO controller studies, the selective control of the two lowest and dominant frequencies of the structure at two different locations still offers comparative vibration mitigation performances with the controllers considered as global in the sense that they target both structural frequencies at both locations. Attenuations of between 10 and 35 dB are achieved.